UIC Students Use Restorative Justice Practices to Lead Community Circle at Fair Housing Summit
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On Saturday, November 23, law students Areeba Javed, Erin Owen, and Maeve Riordan, and UIC nursing student Stephanie Smith participated in a restorative justice summit at the offices of Illinois Representative Justin Slaughter in the Roseland Community in Chicago.
Over 50 community members and restorative justice practitioners were in attendance. The students led a circle addressing the challenges to creating a restorative community. The circle revealed the disproportionate amount of trauma and harm caused by racism and mass incarceration in one community of color in Chicago.
The circle ended by urging all persons present to come up with a personal action plan to bring restorative justice to and address trauma in the community. The students have been learning the philosophy and practice of restorative justice in a course taught by Professor Michael Seng and Adjunct Professor Stephen Schlegel at the UIC Law School.
The circle conducted by the students brought home more than any classroom discussion the need to implement restorative justice practices and trauma informed care to heal individuals and communities who have suffered harm because of our justice system.